Health advocates under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Society Groups have described the 5.7 per cent budgetary allocation to health in the 2023 proposed budget as grossly inadequate, considering the country’s population of over 200 million.
The group also demanded for inclusion of family planning commodities funding, describing the failure of the government to fund family planning in 2022 and in the proposed 2023 as reckless.
The advocates added that despite the escalating over population leading to increased maternal deaths, insecurity and poverty, Nigeria is yet to accord the desired funding for sustainable population.
Led by Hon. Usman Muhammad, the advocates who included the Partnership for Advocacy in child and family health at Scale, Nigeria Health Watch, USAID, Vaccine Alliance, and the Legislative Advocacy Initiatives for Sustainable Development and the Health Advocates for Health, therefore called on the National Assembly to review the proposed health budget to ensure adequate funding in the final approved budget.
“In a situation where the current proposed budget is less than N6000 per Nigerian is a very low investment for Nigeria,” he said.
